The Meaning Of My Hero
by CALIFORNIA.SMASSSSHHHH
Summary: Brenna Thornton is a transfer student from California with big heart and a fierce courage. Eager to join Class 3-A and get into the top 10 of the Hero Charts, she's ready to step it up and focus on her goal. Throw in the League, a certain attraction to a certain King Explosion Murder and normal teenage shenanigans, and you're in for a heap of trouble.


**Chapter One: UA Trials And Tribulations **

**Brenna**

_Hello, Dad._

_It's me! Senior year at UA! I got to Japan fine, and I've already sent my things ahead to Heights Alliance. It should be just a few minutes before class starts. I got my schedule form from the office. My lucky day; I got Class 3-A! That's the class that was always in the news. They were always so amazing; and now I get to stand amongst them, shoulder to shoulder! I know a couple of others got in on recommendation too…I'm just so excited. I can't wait to see what happens! _

_-Brenna Thornton, Senior Year At UA, 1/9/20_

I sigh as I conclude my letter. Grabbing my school bag and straightening my tie, I begin to walk toward my new classroom. Upon seeing the enormous door (labeled 3A), I push it open. What I witness is nothing short of madness. Students are everywhere, and all of them are wearing the same uniform as I am. The majority of students are sitting around tables, chatting. Four in particular are seated at a huge circular table in front of the whiteboard. I can only hear snatches of their conversation.

"Did you complete yesterday's homework, Shoto?"

"Yes, I did. Those fractions were pretty wonky."

"Nothing is ever hard, my friends! Especially if you put in the time and effort!"

"Yeah, _sure,_ Iida. You always say that!"

"And you_ always _shut me down, Uraraka. Let me have this!"

I'm giggling so loudly now that the group turns to stare at me. Blushing profusely, I launch into a hurried introduction. "Hi, my name is Brenna Thornton," I begin, bowing briefly but respectfully. "I'm currently a transfer student from America-!" A loud shriek from the other side of the room cuts me off, and a girl with pink skin and a friendly face embraces me at full force. "It's you, you're the one everyone's been talking about!" She cries in my ear. I can feel my sweat dropping now as she somehow gets closer.

"Do I know you?" I croak out as she presses against me in a tighter embrace, pinching my cheek the way an elderly grandma would. "Hush, dear," She says, ignoring my question. "It's introduction time!" Before I can protest, she's pushed me up to the table where the four students are sitting and slammed me into a chair next to them.

The girl named Uraraka shoots a gentle smile in my direction, which I return shyly. Then she frowns at the girl that put me in this awkward situation. "Would you please not torture the poor girl too much? It's only her first day, aren't you only supposed to make us miserable?" Her overly rosy cheeks emphasize her teasing tone; which I find utterly adorable.

Iida's motions catch my gaze. He seems to be trying to rouse his adjacent tablemate out of sleep: I can't really tell if he's shaking his shoulder or hitting it, his hands are blurry and they comically look robotic. "Midoriya! Midoriya, wake up, I tell you! You have a visitor." Everyone turns to witness the adorable display. Iida's friend lifts his head, blinking bleary eyes. He yawns and rubs his eyes with a hand. His hair is a mess of green curls and his eyes are a piercing green, reminding me strongly of an emerald.

_I've seen this boy before, without a doubt! _My brain's racing as I struggle to recall his name. As if on cue; the boy's eyes focus on me, and he holds out a hand in greeting. "Oh, hey. You must that new transfer student the third-years are talking about, right? Nice to meet you, I'm Izuku Midoriya, better known as Deku!" My face heats up as I belatedly realize who I'm talking to. "Ahh, ah, umm…!" Stuttering, I grab his hand more quickly then I would like; screaming my head off.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! It's just that I've always wanted to meet you!" Deku laughs heartily, clapping his hands together once he pries my fingers loose, which have not let go of his hand. Everyone laughs, except Uraraka. A minute ago, her features had been somewhat stern, but upon seeing Deku, they've transformed into something warm and tender. I watch as Deku's face comically goes through at least ten shades of red. "Deku, you gotta say something! She's new here and she's talking to you!"

As the color becomes akin to an overripe tomato, he finally finds his voice; however unintelligible it sounds. "Um, well-!"

The rest I cannot decipher; as Deku lowers his voice so much, he appears to be muttering. I hear Ochako Uraraka sigh, stand up, and walks over to Deku, who hasn't noticed my awkward expression. Pulling her chair over, she turns to me and speaks in a confident voice. "Yep, that's my friend. He's a bit shy, even after three years. Don't ask him about All Might. You'll never hear the end of it." I take one look at Deku (curled up on the floor in embarrassment) and burst into laughter. Apparently it's infectious: everyone's laughing now. Suddenly the door opens with a crash.

All conversation and chatter are silenced in an instant. I look up at the person responsible for the sudden change in atmosphere. A male student, with spiky blond hair and ruby red eyes. He's strong, too. I can see every movement of muscle under his thin uniform. He walks over to our table, pulling out his chair so hard it grates across the floor, and sits in it.

His final act of rebellion is lounging in his chair and placing his feet on our table. No one moves, but Deku (who had seemingly revived, probably by the noise), breaks the silence. "Kacchan; you're scaring the new student. Stop."

His voice is hard, firm, and the last word sounds like an order. It's only then that I realize I've pushed myself far away from the table. I don't want to speak, but my voice comes out anyway. I know exactly who he is. And I'm gonna make sure he knows exactly who I am before he can push me around or bully these students. But I'll try to do this as peacefully as possible.

"You're Bakugo, aren't you?"

The whole class goes silent stares at me, mouths agape. I stare at Bakugo, biting my lip. "They say you're a wild card, but I look forward to working with such a talented individual." It's obvious the class can't believe what I'm doing. I hold my breath. He grimaces, and to my shock responds in the same manner. He's fluent, it's nearly impossible to tell that he's a foreigner. He may act arrogant, but he is skilled.

"You're a damn fool," He growls. "…to act like we're gonna be pals. You're just another pebble in my path." My eyes narrow at his answer. "I'm new here. My name is Brenna. Brenna Thornton."

He raises an eyebrow, and then continues his rant, jeering at me when he notices my foreign outfit. "You're one of those transfer students then, huh? No wonder you're so naive. They probably let you in because your dad's some CEO or something. No one just _gets_ into UA. It'sprobablybecauseyou're_ Daddy's _littlegirl_!_ I bet he paid for that airplane ticket of yours and everything!"

I frown. The news anchors weren't lying about that mouth of his. I feel my temper boiling. I never did take to bullies well.

"Jeez, you foreigners are such losers these days. So dependent and reliant on others...of course, that alone makes you weak. And let me tell you, weaklings are eaten alive at this school, so move outta my way before I blast you to hell. Go on back to whatever scumhole you came from, with the family of losers you have."

His last few words are cut off as I flip over him like an acrobat. He turns like a snake, impressive, but he's not fast enough and I punch him in the face. Hard. He flies backward into a pile of desks. I hear gasps and shouts from the UA students behind me, but I don't care. I'd heard of this boy's temper before, but I didn't imagine he'd be such an arrogant piece of work. Deku races over to the heap of desks, and extends his hand. Always the stellar hero despite how Bakugo seemed to treat him.

However, Bakugo heaves himself out of the dusty pile and slaps Deku's hand away. "Get away from me, you damn nerd. This cocky girl's about to get what's coming to her."

I ready my hands in martial-arts stance, at least what I learned from watching all those Jackie Chan movies, anyway. Bakugo snarls like a wolf and flies at me, explosions crackling from his palms like wildfire. The door swings open again, and Katsuki's explosions suddenly stop altogether. He loses his altitude and crashes to the ground with a comical _splat_.

I raise my eyes from his battered body to see a tall, imposing man. He has black hair which is tangled and wavy, and his eyes are such a piercing red you could compare them with Explodo here. Bandages wrap crazily about his neck and shoulders, and a black jumpsuit shows clearly against the white bandages. I'm shocked as his eyes revert to a soft inky black, and the bandages around his neck curl and move as if they have minds of their own.

Bakugo rolls over, and places his forearms against the ground, snarling. He still hasn't realized an authority figure has walked in. "You little-!" He can't finish. In the blink of an eye, the bandages around the aforementioned man's neck twist and wrap around Bakugo expertly, immobilizing his hands and feet. He growls and struggles, but to no avail. The man has him pinned to a desk like a fish fit for roasting. As I take a closer look at the man, I am shocked. I've heard of this man before. He's the erasing hero -Shota Aizawa...better known as Eraserhead!

The hero who can erase any quirk as long as he sees the Quirk's bearer; however, the effect wears off the second he blinks. The hero in question frowns down at Bakugo, who returns it back ten times over. "Bakugo. Fighting with new students is a new low for you." Aizawa grumbles sarcastically. Bakugo hisses through his teeth in reply. "She was being a cocky idiot and punched me." Aizawa turns to face me, and he narrows his eyes, which become red and piercing.

His Quirk's no joke: I can't summon my Quirk at all. He leans forward and grabs my arm with surprising strength, lifting my entire body into thin air. "Starting fights, are we? Well, I'll have you know there are consequences, I don't care if you're new around here." He pulls me up so I'm level with his eyes, which still haven't blinked.

"Mr. Aizawa! Stop!" It's Ochako's voice, strained but firm. "Please stop. Bakugo was instigating and insulting her. She didn't just attack him out of nowhere!" Aizawa sighs with frustration. "That's no excuse to fight. A hero must control emotions at all times, for the good of the societies and lives around them."

The hand holding my arm moves again, forcing me back into reality. My feet are back on the ground now, and Bakugo's eyes are inches from mine. "Bakugo. Apologize for your impudence. Now." Aizawa growls. The boy looks away from me, sticking out sharp-looking canines in a sneer of defiance. "Do it, Bakugo. Or you can look forward to a month with me instead, cleaning the classrooms after homeroom." Bakugo's prideful, but even he won't defy Eraser twice. Bowing quickly, He mumbles. "Sorry for my behavior."

His voice is taut with suppressed rage, and I'm sure he's not the least sorry for what he said. Pride at its best. Aizawa nods and turns to me. "Your name?" I shudder at his tone, it's disappointed, angered. "B-Brenna, sir." He gives me the slightest of nods, and turns back to Bakugo. "Brenna, apologize to Bakugo for attacking him. Instigated or not, a hero does not attack others for bad behavior. Heroes are there to teach and lead by example, rather than force. That makes you no better than the villains out on the streets, who live by hedonistic values and do as they please."

Thoroughly chastised, I bow at the waist to the boy I punched not a few minutes ago. "...Sorry for punching you, Bakugo. I shouldn't have attacked you." His only answer is a mutinous glare. Eraser stares down at him until he grunts unhappily. Only then do the bandages that wrap around us relinquish their hold. I'm dropped unceremoniously to the ground. Shame rushes through me, mingling with the anger towards the bully who glares my way.

"Return to your seats." Eraser mumbles after a few moments. We do as he says (Ochako offers me a vacant desk close to her) and class begins. Apparently, Class 1A's learning about hero laws; which I find very interesting. I take as many notes as I can; telling myself the least I can do is pay attention, given the mess I caused this morning. After class; Bakugo and I are tasked with two weeks of cleaning the UA dorms, plus having to work together to do so. Great. This is just what I wanted on the first day.

That letter will have to wait quite a while before it ever sees the post office.

Once in the spacious dormitories, I begin unpacking the boxes in my room. It's already seven o'clock. The school apparently moves everything into your room for you, which is a relief. I pull various things out of the box on top of the giant pile. It's the lightest by far, and has all of my old items from California in it. I reach into the dusty box, wiping off an old frame I see on the top of the pile. As I turn it over to wipe the glassy surface, I smile. The photo in the frame is of my parents.

This was when they had celebrated my transfer with me. _Wow. That was only about three weeks ago. Time really flies…_ I sigh and put the photo on my nightstand. I feel kind of lonely without them here to support me. _No, stop. _I clap my hands to my cheeks. Think of different things. UA's dorms really are something; I don't think we get this much luxury in America.

Each dorm room has a bathroom, walk-in closet, washer, dryer, and bedroom. We even have verandas! I've decked out my room well, by my standards. My bedsheets (All Might themed; when Deku saw them he went on one of those famed mumbling sprees) are laid out neatly over my bed.

The walls are a soft yellow, the floor's carpet a darker gray. I'll have to ask if I can paint the walls a different color..! I'm yanked out of my reverie by a soft scratching at my door and a whirring noise drives into my skull.

To my surprise a small drill head pokes through my door. It's pulled out from the outside and a small beady eye looks through. "The new transfer student. She's just as pretty as they say…" The voice coming from the hole is grating and lisping, and creepier than anything else I've ever heard.

The soft muttering is cut off by an ear-piercing scream of terror, and a muted thud. And my door opens ...to reveal a girl. Lots of girls, to be specific. The girl in front catches my attention first, she's pretty cool. Her eyes and hair are black, and her ears look like phone cords, with jacks at the end of each cord, and one is wrapped tightly around a boy; no, _child._ At least I think it is.

The boy has purple hair that looks like someone stuck a bunch of purple tennis balls to his head. He's also holding his ears and looks to be in extreme pain. The girl with ear cords smiles at me warmly. "Sorry about that. I'm Jiro, by the way. We can patch that hole in your door real quick. You might wanna do it ASAP, especially with this guy around." She shakes the midget harshly. He groans in pain.

"This perv is Mineta. You might want to keep a close eye on him. He has a tendency to _spy_ on people…" She tosses the boy on the ground like a piece of luggage. Freed from the jacks, Mineta jumps up and laughs insanely.

"You girls are fools to let me run free in the transfer's room!" I watch in more shock than disgust as the midget runs before anyone can restrain him, and he dives towards my dresser. He flings the underwear drawer open like a wild animal. His face of dreamlike ecstasy turns to one of confusion. I remember gratefully that I never unpacked my clothes. The slack-jawed expression on Mineta's face lasts long enough for Jiro to restrain him again. The girls exit the room with him in tow. I look around the corner to see what they'll do. And it's nothing short of hilarious. The girl with the long ponytail and severe expression is holding a long, coiled rope and a Bed-Bath-And-Beyond bag from my trash can.

I watch curiously as she smashes the _down_ button for the elevator. I see her hand the bag and rope to a floating pair of blue gloves. Jiro holds the wrapped Mineta in front of her and the gloves and Jiro obscure Mineta from sight. When the gloves uncover Mineta, he's wrapped so tight in the rope that the only thing I can see are his eyes.

The girl with the severe expression places the wrapped Mineta in the bag and ties it in a complicated knot. The elevator has arrived; I see the doors open with a flourish. The ponytail girl quickly tosses the bag to Jiro, who does a left fielder throw with all her might using the bag as a football.

The bag hits the back of the elevator with a sickening thud and a scream of pain erupts from it. Wow, a perfect home run. "I hope someone can find you in the elevator soon enough. At least before you suffocate." Jiro says warmly. The elevator doors shut gloriously, shutting out the terrified, muffled shrieking. Jiro then rubs her hands together, as if to finish a hard job. She then waves to me kindly.

"Hey. We saw those sick punches you threw. Bakugo looked shocked. I've never seen anyone stand up to him like that before." I scratch the back of my head. "Well, someone needed to do it. It seemed like second nature, the way he acted towards Deku. Is he always like that?"

Jiro sighs. "Yup. We can't really do much about it. He's just mean." I nod. "Uh, if you're all OK with it, could we talk in my room? I feel bad keeping you all out here in the hall." Jiro looks at me wide-eyed. "You sure?"

"Yeah!"

The girls enter my room and almost immediately begin to chatter excitedly about the "foreign beauty." Jiro points to a poster of Persona 5 on the wall. "I love this game!" I grin at her shyly. Honesty should be returned. "I really like the character in it. Akira?" Jiro whistles at me. "A good choice." I stop talking for a moment to feel tapping on my shoulder. I turn to see...nothing. However a chirpy voice comes from directly in front of me, and I shriek in surprise. "Oops! Sorry! My bad." Thin air seems to be talking to me. I decide to not immediately continue freaking out, so I awkwardly raise my hand in a shaking gesture. I feel warm fingers enclose my own and shake my hand softly. So she's invisible. Cool!

"Hi! My name's Toru Hagakure!" I grin. "Brenna Thornton. Nice to meet you." She squeals in happiness. "Such a pretty name! I hope we'll become good friends." A soft voice comes from behind. "Alright, Toru, give her some breathing room!" It's that pink-skinned girl from before, the one Ochako was talking to (_and the one who tackled me like a football player_). "Hey, what's up? I'm Mina Ashido." She laughs at my shocked expression as I take in the horns on her head.

"Don't worry, I look like an alien, but I'm the head gal around here."

I smile at her too. "Hi." Mina grins at my timid greeting and shoves the ponytail girl towards me, who complains about "shoving people without permission." As Mina shoves her, she says, "Momoyao, get over here! Stop being so elegant and princessy and introduce yourself!" The ponytail girl sighs and sits in a regal fashion. At first I thought she was way older due to her height, but the childish sparkle in her gaze overrides that former thought.

"Hello. I'm Momo Yaoyorozu. Nice to meet you, Brenna." I stare at her quizzically. "Momoyao?" She smiles fondly. "That's a nickname, but you can call me that if you wish." I grin. "I will. It makes you sound so cute!" Momo just smiles at me and pulls me into a big hug. "Thank you. That means a lot, Brenna. I hope we can become good friends too." I return the hug in earnest; she reminds me a lot of a big sister.

"Momoyao?"

"Momo-Chan?"

I turn to my open door to see Ochako and another girl. She looks almost frog-like, but the look suits her. It's cute.

"Hey, Brenna. It's good to see you again." Ochako smiles at me. The frog girl notices me and shakes my hand immediately. "I'm Tsuyu Asui. Nice to meet you, Brenna-chan." I laugh at the oddly intimate honorific. "Chan?" Tsuyu blushes and grins. "I call all my friends "Chan." Sorry if it's a bit awkward." I laugh and shake my head. "No offense taken. I think it's sweet that you do that." I turn to the rest of the girls. "Wanna talk quirks?" Squeals of delight ring in my ears.

"I'm Mina Ashido! My quirk is Acid." Mina holds up a hand, almost like she's holding something in the palm of it. A deluge of gray goop appears, swirling in her hand. She passes it between her hands, letting it slide along her fingers skillfully. "I secrete acid from my body. I'm able to manage its viscosity and corrosiveness at will. It's handy for melting through stuff." The girl bows heartily, and then sits down. She shouts at Momo energetically. "You next, Momoyao! Show her the goods!"

"That can easily be taken out of context, Mina…" Momo grumbles as she stands up. She pulls up the sleeve on her turtleneck and to my surprise, a ruler comes out of her arm and into her hand. "My Quirk is called Creation. I'm able to create inorganic things from the lipids in my body. It basically uses body fat to create objects I use in battle or everyday life. It's quite handy."

It's some Quirk. Momo extends a hand to Ochako. That's right; I'd wanted to know her Quirk. She stands up and gives us her trademark grin. "My Quirk is Zero Gravity. I'm able to take the gravity out of anything I touch with all five fingers." Ochako reaches out for my picture frame and touches it lightly.

The picture frame begins to float high into the air and it bumps off the ceiling gently. "Release!" She exclaims, pressing her fingers together. The picture frame drops like a stone, directly into her outstretched hands. She laughs adorably and holds up a hand to show soft pink pads on each delicate fingertip. "However, if I float too much or myself for a while I'll start to feel sick." She does a little bow and sits down. The pair of gloves - no, Toru - jumps up. "My Quirk is invisibility! It's super cool! I can be stealthy like a ninja, and attack with light refraction."

I nod. She'll be useful to heroes and it's a cool Quirk. Tsuyu (who immediately sat down on the rug with us after the entrance) stands up next. "I'm Tsuyu. As you can see from my appearance, my Quirk is Frog. I can do anything a frog can. Like this." She pulls down the neck of her pajamas, not enough to show anything, but giving her neck plenty of room. Her neck suddenly bubbles out abnormally and she croaks so loudly I jump. As I regain lost composure and crawl over to her to check if she's OK, Mina laughs and slaps my back. "Chill, girl! She's fine!" I grin. Tsuyu smiles and pulls up her pajamas. She points to her left and I look up as Jiro stands.

"My Quirk is called Earphone Jack. I can insert my jacks into objects and they will carry highly amplified samples of my heartbeat. They become sonic blasts that can deafen and disorient. I'm also able to hear sounds that normal people can't. They're pretty unique." The ear-jacks wave as if to prove her point. I smile. That's awesome. I could listen to my phone's music and never need ear-buds! Mina points at me. "Brenna? You haven't shown off your Quirk." I wince. I wonder what they'll think of it at first; and then I realize that they've been trying their hardest to help me feel like I fit in here. I'm scared. My Quirk...it's pretty impressive, but also hides a secret. Ochako looks quizzically at my pause and makes a sympathetic noise. She can probably sense my distress. Her worried face becomes excited, however, and she nods encouragingly at me and winks. I smile back. I don't have to tell them everything yet...but I want to show them this. At least part of it. This marvelous strength that I've inherited from generations.

And then I activate it.

A crackle of energy flashes through the room, blue-green sparks pop and flash and I'm on the bed, standing in an All Might pose, grinning widely. "My Quirk is technically Teleportation. I can teleport anywhere, as long as I've got the clear location. If I travel too far, with too many, I'll get really tired and have to rest, but it's really great!" The girls look shocked, and then they yell. Jumping in the air, hugging me, dragging me onto the ground again with them. We end up a laughing, excited tangle of teenagers. They all yell one thing;

"That's SO awesome! You can teleport?!" Mina shrieks in happiness.

Momo smiles at me and says, "Good Quirk."

Toru's yelling about how lucky I am.

Tsuyu is ribbiting and saying I'll be a great hero.

Jiro talks about how "punk rock" I'll be.

Ochako is just grinning as if she's about to do something.

And then she pats my shoulder. With all five of her fingers.

And as I float into the air with a laugh of exhilaration, I know that I'm not so alone anymore.


End file.
